


Tu Madre!

by WolfyWordWeaver



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Abuelas are the best, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Non-Magical, Bullying, Coming of Age, Getting Together, High School, Hispanic Character, Latino Character, M/M, Mexican!Snape, Spaniard!Sirius, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms, cursing in spanish, juvenile delinquents, racial bending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-20
Updated: 2020-04-20
Packaged: 2021-03-02 05:14:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,242
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23759689
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WolfyWordWeaver/pseuds/WolfyWordWeaver
Summary: Severus thinks that his life is as good as over when he gets stuck working with Sirius and James during his community service, but things don't always work out the way we expect them to. His months of hell will include cursing at each other in Spanish, ankle monitors, quality time with Abuela, and maybe, just maybe, a boyfriend.
Relationships: Sirius Black/Severus Snape
Comments: 8
Kudos: 74





	Tu Madre!

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, I started with [this](https://savagearchangelforthewin2-0.tumblr.com/post/172355291729/consider-this-both-snape-and-sirius-are-of) prompt as an excuse to write Severus and Sirius cursing at each other in Spanish but then it exploded into this. XD I wrote a story that wasn't all angst or all humor? That has multiple languages? That has imperfect characters and is not completely resolved? What?!
> 
> Okay, this is my first (but not last) work with a focus on a language that is not English, so you'll need to understand how I chose to format things. I believe that I've done it in such a way that you can figure it out within the story, but just in case here you go. Almost everything in italics is in reference to the Spanish being spoken. The Spanish words are in italics and the sentences that are in English but italicized are to be understood as the characters speaking in Spanish. I chose not to write their entire Spanish conversations out in Spanish to make it easier to get through without having to flip back and forth through translations. I also chose to stick with English punctuation throughout as well since their conversations were all verbal not written. This is not how every author chooses to do this, but this is my current creative decision. 
> 
> I've also made a glossary of the insults and phrases that I thought would need to be explained. You can find it here and in the notes at the bottom. 
> 
> Coger (pronounced co-hair) - Mexican version of "fuck"  
> Joder (pronounced hoe-dair) - Spaniard version of "fuck"  
> Que te folle un pez! --> I hope you get fucked by a fish! (Spaniard)  
> Gilipollas --> dumbass (Spainard)  
> Pendejo --> idiot (Mexican)  
> Chinga tu madre, puto --> fuck your mother, man whore (Mexican)  
> Que te den, Santiago --> fuck you, James (Spaniard)  
> Perdóname --> Excuse me?  
> De nada --> you're welcome  
> Un pinche estúpido --> a fucking idiot (Mexican)
> 
> Also note that I do not have a whole lot of knowledge on how the juvenile delinquent systems work in different places and this story is not written with complete legal accuracy. Don't get hung up on that.

" _Coger_ ," the lanky teenager muttered under his breath as he checked in and took a seat in the lobby of the Juvenile Detention Center. 

Eyes dark enough to be almost black examined the sterile space, noting all the care that went into keeping anything from being turned into a weapon or being stolen. It was a reasonable thing to do, but it still made his skin crawl as if he actually had a foot in jail. Which wasn't too far from the truth considering that he was now the proud owner of an ankle monitor and a participant in a new project by none other than investigator hard-ass Mr. Moody. 

"This is better than prison," Severus whispered to himself over and over. Most kids like him didn't get this option, so he had to count his blessings. 

" _Joder!_ " another voice cursed, interrupting his quiet chanting. "You know what, James? _Que te folle un pez! Un pez!_ " 

Two other teenagers sauntered into the lobby and Severus tried to hunch in on himself so that they wouldn't notice him. The darker-skinned boy was laughing at his pale friend's colorful words.

"I don't know what you're saying," the calm voice of Rosmerta interrupted, "but no cursing in the facility or while you're performing your community hours."

"Yeah, yeah," the pale boy grumbled as he signed in.

"I think he's just making crap up as he goes," the shorter of the two, James apparently, added conversationally to the receptionist. "Sirius is full of sh- er, I mean, crap. Full of crap."

Severus felt his stomach drop. There was no mistaking it, these two were exactly who he thought they were.

"Don't listen to him...Rosmerta," Sirius tried to charm as he glanced down at her name tag. "I'm actually-"

"Are you finished signing in?" a sharp voice barked and the two jumped to attention. Severus peeked through his long fringe and saw Mr. Moody limping towards them all with a glower. "Black, Potter, Snape, get over here."

Severus winced at hearing his name in the same sentence as those two bastards and he could feel their eyes jerking over towards them.

"Snivellus, is that you?" Sirius taunted.

"Shut your mouth, Black," Moody ordered sharply. "Or I won't hesitate to extend your time."

"Okay, okay!" he agreed quickly with hands up in acquiescence. 

"Now, follow me."

The three teens followed the middle-aged man, Severus choosing to hang behind so that he could keep his eyes on James and Sirius. They whispered quietly to each other and shot dangerous glances his way as they walked and Severus felt the tension winding through his whole body. If the penal system really wanted to punish him, then they did a damn good job of finding the worst possible way to do it. This was on par with actually going to jail. A probation officer slid open the back door a van and all four of them clambered into the modified back seats. After they were all buckled up, Moody spoke again.

"Okay, so you all know that you'll be serving community service. First we'll start with graffiti removal in the old downtown. You lot could all do with some hard work and maybe a few blisters will remind you that actions have consequences."

"Yes, sir," Severus muttered as he stared at his olive-skinned hands.

James and Sirius grunted, seemingly even more in-sync than they had been during middle school and it both frightened and infuriated him. Moody didn't seem to care, and just leaned back and kept his squinted eyes on the teens. The drive wasn't very far and soon all three of them were out in the afternoon sun and standing in front of a brick wall full of vulgar language and gang signs. James groaned in frustration as he looked at all the work they had to do. Sirius sighed in annoyance before gathering up his hair in a pile on the top of his head and using one of the hairbands on his wrist to bind it. Severus didn't have any hair ties, so he settled for tucking his hair behind his ears.

All of them put on the thick gloves and masks and were soon busy with spraying chemicals and scrubbing with stiff brushes. Moody and the parole officer kept a ways off but always with an eye on the boys so that they couldn't get up to any mischief. All of them kept relatively quiet and the hours passed quickly. Unfortunately, there was still plenty of work to be done and they all had several more weeks of community service. 

**

"Hey, _gilipollas_ , what are you serving time for?"

Severus grit his teeth, hating that Moody had decided it was a good idea for Sirius to be teamed up with him as they picked trash from the side of a highway. James was off with Benjy, the newest addition to their delinquent crew.

"Why would I tell you, _pendejo?_ " he shot back. "You can't even speak fucking Spanish right."

Sirius made a strangled noise of annoyance. "I'll have you know, _el señor Mexicano_ , that Spaniards invented the fucking language. Your people just adopted and then butchered it."

"Ah yes, my people butchered the language before they butchered the _conquistadors_. My bad."

Severus was trying to ignore the fact that Sirius was trying to fight a grin and he was definitely going to ignore the way that his stomach was flipping in response. 

"I'm participating in this because I crashed the fucking car."

"Hold the bag open," Severus barked in annoyance as Sirius got distracted by a nice motorcycle racing by. "And I doubt that a car accident gets you put in the Juvenile Rehabilitation Program."

"It does when you're drunk off your ass."

Now the shorter of the two dark-haired boys sent a scathing glare towards his partner. "Drunk driving? You could have killed someone."

Sirius shrugged and held the bag open again. "But I didn't. It's a good thing I buckled though, or I probably would have gotten more than a few bruises and a cracked rib."

"Still so fucking selfish," Severus hissed. "You don't care about potentially killing other people on the road but you're concerned about the fact that you could have killed yourself? Could you be any bigger of an asshole?"

"Actually, I can _Snivellus,_ " he shot back angrily. "And you should know that."

He wheeled on Sirius and pointed the trash picking stick at him. " _Chinga tu madre, puto!_ I'm not the same little defenseless kid outnumbered here! You try any shit with me and I'll fuck you up!"

That infuriating grin curled on perfect lips and Sirius didn't even have the decency to look properly concerned for his well-being.

"You and what army, Snape?" he laughed before waving the trash bag in a mimicry of a matador flag. "So, tell me; what is Mr. Stick-up-his-ass Nerd doing here with me and James?"

"Why is James here?" Severus grumbled as he picked up more trash. If he couldn't rile up Sirius then he would just irritate him.

"He was in the car with me, and drunk off his ass too. Probably dared me to drive in the first place, if I know the little shit."

"It's comforting to know that the two of you are still being terrible influences on each other. How about Peter and Remus? Are they still following you like little yipping puppies, waiting for the table scraps?"

"Remus never drinks as much as James and I do," Sirius responded without an ounce of shame. "Which is good because it's great to know that there'll always be someone able to bail us out. Peter passed out before James and I got in the car. But yeah, we're all still hanging out. How about you? Still hanging out with Lily?"

Severus shrugged with one shoulder. "A few times a month when she's not busy with schoolwork. But I don't ask her about you."

"I didn't think you would." They continued picking up the trash in silence for a little longer before Sirius nudged him with his shoulder. " _So, what are you in for_?"

A long-suffering sigh slipped past the lips before Severus leaned back for a stretch. " _Drugs. Got caught selling._ "

Sirius' eyes shot up and his sun-burnt face looked quite surprised. " _What the hell would you go and do that for?_ "

" _Look, I'm not a delinquent like you. I was just trying to bring in some more money to help my mom out. I just didn't want her working so hard._ "

When he straightened up, Severus was surprised by the expression on Sirius' face. It was one he had never seen before and it sent the butterflies in his stomach into a frenzy. 

" _Wha_ -"

"Hey guys, let's get going!" James called out, making both of the Hispanic boys startle in surprise. "And don't you know it's rude to be speaking that Spanish shit when there are people around who can't understand?"

Sirius snarled at his best friend immediately. " _Que te den, Santiago_!" This seemed to startle the privileged prat into what little sense he had. Severus could remember only two other times he had ever heard Sirius called James by his Spanish name and neither event had ended particularly well for the bespectacled boy. "I'll speak fucking Spanish whenever I fucking feel like speaking Spanish. Got it?"

"Uh, okay," James gave in immediately. "Shit, sorry man."

"Next time I won't give a warning before I break your fucking nose, do you hear that?"

"Sure, man."

Snape hid behind the curtain of his hair, and if his face was burning with an inexplicable blush then he sure as hell wasn't going to admit it.

**

Taking a long stretch after he finished signing out, Severus groaned softly. Summer was quickly approaching and he was grateful that his 5-days-a-week community service would come to an end soon. He'd just have to put up with continued monitoring and weekly check-ins with the assigned councilor and probation officer through the summer. If that went well then he was looking at being free of the ankle monitor in time for his final year of school to start. 

"Severus?"

Glancing lazily over his shoulder, he saw Sirius shifting on his feet almost nervously. "What?"

Those greyish blue eyes looked up and locked in on his exposed midriff and Severus felt a heat burn on his cheeks before he quickly dropped his arms and crossed them over his chest. Sirius shook his head and looked up at his dark eyes.

"Do you think that you could give me a ride home today?"

" _Perd_ _ó_ _name_?" he snapped in shock.

A slight pink hue darkened on those tanning cheekbones. "I can't drive myself, you know." He gestured to his own ankle monitor. "Part of my punishment. I mean, I _could_ but I'm not supposed to."

"Doesn't Remus usually pick you up?" Severus pressed, not sure why he was feeling so hesitant to help out.

Yes, Sirius and his little gang used to bully the crap out of him in middle school, but save a few moments here and there he and Sirius had actually gotten a long decently over these weeks of community service. It not like he really thought that Sirius was trying to set him up for a prank or anything.

Now Sirius was scratching at the back of his sweaty neck and looking a little more embarrassed. "Yeah, I was having issues with my monitor so I had to stay back a little longer and I guess those assholes decided to ditch me."

Hmm, highly suspect.

"Fine, whatever," he finally grumbled. "Let's run it by Moody to make sure that it won't go against any of the rules or anything."

After being reminded of the rules of going straight home and not making any other stops, the two Hispanic boys made their way to Severus' little beater car. Sirius laughed at the handle for the window and manually cranked it down for the heck of it. He stuck his head out and looked like quite the contented dog with the breeze blowing through his loosened hair. They drove in silence with the sound of the rushing wind taking the space between them, and Severus couldn't help the little glances that he stole every few seconds. 

Sirius had always been a good looking kid, even through their shared years in elementary and middle school. He was the type of child that everyone wanted to be friends with and he always had access to a steady stream of friends. James had been his coveted best friend from the start and eventually Remus and Peter were pulled into their little orbit of assholery, but their exclusive behavior only made them even more desirable. Through the elementary years the four of them would cause mischief and mayhem to teachers and students alike, but after they all got into middle school things seemed to change a bit and Severus somehow managed to become their number one target. The bullying had even gotten bad enough to require parental intervention and Severus could still remember the shame of his mother squirming uncomfortably in the principals' office as she struggled to keep up with the fast English and the loud and proud voices of the Potter and Black parents.

Now as he looked at Sirius, he could see that the boy had grown even more into his good looks but it had been sharpened with an edge of meanness that made him wary as much as it made his gut flutter. He had never much thought that he was attracted to bad boys, especially with his history of being bullied, but there was something about Sirius that _made_ him pay attention. Maybe he was just curious? He had always been attracted to a good mystery, and this Sirius who bit out with venom and bitterness made him wonder. Why would such a handsome and gifted and rich boy find it necessary to get drunk and drive around for kicks? Why did he feel the need to belittle others? Was it just spoiled entitlement? Something about the empty eyes and aching sneers made him think there was more to it.

Feeling very much out of place as he pulled his old car up to the street of glittering houses, Severus sighed. These were the kinds of houses his mother cleaned for a living. His car ground to a halt in front of the gilded number 12 and he stared at the opulent facade.

" _Here we go_ ," he grumbled. 

Sirius turned to face him and Severus had to swallow thickly. The older boy's lips were curled in a dangerous grin and his eyes were glittering with the victory of a choice made.

" _I noticed that you always wear your rosary_ ," he stated softly and purposefully as those calloused fingers reached over and stroked across the beads. 

Severus felt his breath quicken as those fingers teased softly at the skin of his collarbones in their exploration. " _Y-yeah_?"

" _Are you a...practicing Catholic_?"

Here he noticed a slight waver of uncertainty, and Severus furrowed his brow.

" _My mother is_ ," he responded carefully and the fingers dancing across the rosary moved to tease at the collar of his shirt.

" _I'd like to kiss you_ ," Sirius breathed out quietly, eyes looking up coyly through those thick dark lashes.

A million questions raced through Severus' brain as he stared down at that inviting mouth. There was no way that this would be a good idea. In a couple of weeks they wouldn't even be seeing each other anymore, down to weekly visits and at different schools and in different social circles. Sirius would be back on the fast-track to success and he would be back to scrubbing toilets and mowing lawns for people like Sirius.

But maybe that's why he should? What harm could one kiss be? 

They weren't getting into a relationship or anything. Sirius probably just wanted to brag about having his way with the help and Severus could tuck away his conquest of the lips of a rich boy.

"Okay," he muttered before leaning forward and accepting the kiss. 

Sirius gasped softly as their lips met and his hands reached up to cup Severus' face gently. It wasn't the type of kiss that the young Mexican was expecting at all. There was no clashing teeth and dominating bites, only soft caresses and breathless moans. His own thin fingers sunk into the mass of silky hair, ignoring the awkward twist as they kissed over the stick shift.

It was heavenly.

The trill of a notification interrupted them and Sirius pulled back, seemingly reluctantly. He paused and then went back in for another soft kiss once, twice, and then he finally pulled away when another trill sounded off. Severus was even more confused and his heart was racing. Why was Sirius looking like that? Why did he seem to be enjoying himself so much? Severus was not a particularly experienced kisser and he doubted that he was much of a natural. 

" _Ay, joder_ ," Sirius grumbled as he looked at his cell phone. He grinned up at Severus in muted embarrassment and shrugged. " _Sorry, I need to go. Thanks for the ride._ "

" _De nada_ ," Severus responded quietly and he watched as the other boy stepped out of the car and strode up the steps to his family home.

**

By the time Monday rolled around, Severus was nearly sick with nerves. He hadn't heard from Sirius since the kiss Friday evening, not that he expected to, and he wasn't exactly sure how the other was going to act. Was he going to act like nothing had happened? Would he want to talk about it? Would he want another kiss? He groaned at the thought of tasting those lips again and Rosmerta shot him a surprised look. He looked up at her sheepishly and shook his head. When Sirius did come through the door, Severus wasn't expecting what he saw.

" _Santa Maria_!" he exclaimed in shock.

"Hello to you too," Sirius shot back in annoyance, his non-swollen eye rolling. 

Severus just gaped as he took in the swollen black eye, the bandaged nose, and the arm in a sling. His mouth moved uselessly as his brain couldn't even seem to function well enough to come up with words in English or in Spanish. 

"What the hell happened to you?" Moody barked as he stepped into the lobby.

Sirius grinned as well as he could with the swollen cheek. "The stairs and I had a disagreement over the weekend, Moody. Don't worry, I don't expect to be getting out of any work."

"Is that broken?" he asked gesturing to the arm.

"A crack. Didn't need surgery but I've got to leave it alone for a few weeks to let it heal. I can still do things with my other hand."

"I can help him," Severus blurted before snapping his mouth shut in surprise. What the hell was going on with him?!

Moody gave him a strange look for a moment. "Okay, that's fine. It's always better to separate Black and Potter anyway."

"Hey!" James protested.

"Looks like you're stuck with me again," Benjy laughed before punching James in the arm. 

The four teens and two supervisors went about the usual routine, this time going to an apartment complex where families on government assistance were placed. They got to work on putting a fresh coat of paint on the tall fence, and once they were a distance from the adults Severus turned to his partner. 

"What happened?" he asked under his breath, trying not to sound too worried.

"I fell down the stairs," Sirius responded easily even as his right hand struggled with the paint roller. Apparently he wasn't all that good with his non-dominant hand. 

"I've been slapped around enough by my father to know when someone's been beaten," he replied quietly and Sirius' hand froze.

"It's nothing."

Severus bit his lip and looked over in concern. "Okay. You can tell me if you want to, but I won't ask again."

"Okay."

They worked in silence for nearly an hour before Sirius had to give his arm a break. Severus continued with painting even as he watched the taller boy out of the corner of his eye. Sirius squinted in the bright light of the sun and stared out over the apartment complex. There were some children playing on the rusted swing set and a group of teenagers congregated around a picnic table were laughing and chatting as they enjoyed the nice weather.

" _Need some water_?" he asked carefully while Sirius continued staring off into space.

"Hm? Ah, no. _I'm fine_." There was silence for another beat before he spoke again. " _My mom saw us kissing in the car_."

Dark hands froze in mid-motion as the words sunk into his brain. " _Your mom did that_?"

Sirius shrugged. " _Some. My dad did the rest_."

Trying not not show how upset he was by the confirmation, Severus pressed the paint roller even harder against the fence. " _I'm sorry about that. I wouldn't have kissed you if I knew that's what would happened._ "

" _It's fine._ " Grey blue eyes glanced back his way. " _The kiss was worth it_."

"You're safety is worth way more than any of my kisses," is what Severus wanted to say, but he kept quiet. Would that be admitting too much? He wasn't even sure if he was being completely honest with himself yet, much less being so with Sirius.

The rest of the work went quietly and soon they were all heading off home again. Severus was surprised when Sirius came up to him again and asked for a ride. Moody agreed again and before Severus could say anything along the lines of how bad an idea this was Sirius spoke up again.

"Didn't you say that you needed to fill up your car with fuel?" he asked in front of Moody.

For a moment Severus was confused since he knew for a fact that his car was full, but decided that it was probably an excuse for them to get away with talking some. "Yeah. Would that be okay, Moody? Fuel and then dropping him off? That way I can go straight home afterwards."

Moody looked between the two boys for a second before nodding. "Sure, that's fine. Good work today, boys."

"Thanks!" Sirius chirped before pushing Severus towards the doors.

When they pulled in to the gas station, Sirius motioned for him to park near the back and Severus complied. When the ignition was turned off he tried to apologize again.

"Look-"

Dark eyes widened in shock when he was immediately silenced by a pair of frisky lips. A hand was bunched up in the front of his shirt and tugging him forward so that he couldn't pull away easily. Irritation flashed through his brain and he considered jerking away anyway just to spite the pretentious bastard but the swipe of a tongue across his lips made him second guess. This time Sirius wasn't as shy in his kisses and Severus decided that he wouldn't be either. He opened his mouth and met that tongue with his own, relishing in the heated whimper he was rewarded with. They drowned in the sensations with each other until Sirius pulled away panting. His cocky grin was in place and he placed a quick peck on the tip of Severus' Aztec nose.

"Okay, we have to get a move on or Moody will be checking in," he stated breathlessly. Those pale fingers awkwardly ran through the curly tangles of hair trying to get it back into a presentable state as he was limited to the use of only one arm.

Severus didn't say anything as he started up the car or even during the drive. When Sirius sauntered out, he had the irrational desire to snatch the other teen back into his car and drive away as fast as possible. It was stupid and dangerous and nothing that he could have done anyway. Sirius wasn't a fictional damsel in distress who would sing praises over being saved and offer himself up to the carnal pleasures of his savior. He'd probably get a broken nose of his own if he tried to pull that shit. Biting down hard on his lip, Severus tried not to think too much about Sirius as he drove off with hands clenched around the steering wheel.

**

" _Abuela_?"

" _S_ _í_ _, mi amor_?"

Severus stared at the mashed corn masa he was supposed to be spooning onto the corn husks for tamales and tried to get enough courage to ask her the questions he really wanted to.

" _Can I ask you something without you telling Mam_ _í_?"

She looked surprised but nodded. " _Of course, ni_ _ñ_ _o. What is it_?"

He plopped a heavy spoonful of the masa onto the husk and added a generous heaping of shredded pork before sliding it over for the expert wrapping skills of those wizened hands. While he loved both his mother and grandmother very much, asking either of them such questions was tricky because of their strict adherence to the Catholic faith. However, he had always found Abuela to be a little more lenient and understanding. Her stories about being a wild teen and living the crazy life before settling down with her husband also made him feel that she would be open to giving him advice and the benefit of the doubt. 

" _I...I wanted to ask you for some advice on...boy issues_." He cringed at his poor word choices and tried to quickly fix it before she thought he was asking about masturbation or something. " _Like, dating advice_."

The squinty eyes relaxed around the edges and the plump woman chuckled as she rolled another tight tamale. " _Oh, of course, ni_ _ñ_ _o. You can ask me anything. I might not have good advice because your Abuelo was the only fool who wanted to marry me, but I can try._ "

Severus glanced over at the black-and-white portrait of the two severe looking Mexicans and tried to imagine the kind of man that loved the wild and untamed woman Abuela described herself as. His grandfather had died when he was four and he never could remember much more than gnarled hands and the plucking of guitar strings.

" _There's this...person that I think that I like, but...there was some bad blood between us? From when we were younger. And now things are different, but the...person...well they seem to like me too but they are still not exactly the nicest person? But...ah, I don't know how to explain it better_." He sighed and tried not to fling the masa onto the corn husks too sharply. " _He, er, they...I don't know. They are different that what they pretend to be but I don't know if they are better or worse. If it's a good idea to try to make something of it or not_."

His Abuela rested her squared chin on her palm and gave him a slightly amused glare. " _You're in love with a boy, Severus_?" He made a choked noise of shock and she just laughed. " _Just say so. It's painful to listen to you trying to work around that._ "

" _Don't tell Mam_ _í_ ," he begged.

" _Ay, I gave birth to that woman and wiped her butt for years. I don't need to tell her anything._ " Severus gave a nervous but slightly relieved chuckle. " _Anyways, I had my fair share of secret romances with the girls at my Catholic school,_ " she added casually and this time Severus did choke on his spit. " _What, you think that you're the only Mexican who has eyes for the same gender? Please. Don't make me laugh_."

" _Coger_ ," he finally got out only to be lightly slapped by his grandmother.

" _Don't curse, ni_ _ñ_ _o. Anyway, your mother married a white man so at this point I can basically forgive anything_."

All of the nervousness officially shattered upon hearing that and the two began laughing hysterically. Severus felt relief flood through him and he grinned stupidly as he finished up with the rest of the masa and meat. 

" _Okay, I'll just say it as it is. I've been kissing the boy who used to bully me back in school. You know, the one who did THE THING_."

" _Ah, that puto_."

" _Yes, that one. But like I said, it's different now. I think that part of the problem is his family. They caught us kissing and his mother and father beat him for it._ " Abuela looked shocked at that and he nodded. " _I've tried to hint that maybe we shouldn't keep doing this because I don't want him to get hurt even more but he just wants to try to hide it instead. And I don't know if we're even dating or just kissing? I mean_..." Severus knocked his ankle monitor against the leg of the table. " _We're both in this program for screwing things up and I don't want to be a different kind of screw up for him. I don't want to be something to rebelliously flaunt in front of his parents or others. I don't want to be a phase for him_."

Those milky brown eyes stared at him with more warmth and compassion than he felt he could ever deserve, and Severus felt himself melt into an embrace with her. His forehead rested against her bosom and she softly petted the back of his head and neck. A peace that could only be found with an Abuela soaked through him and for the first time in weeks he didn't feel like an anxious mess.

" _It sounds like you really like this boy_."

" _I do_ ," he mumbled. " _But I feel like I shouldn't. Because of what he did._ "

" _Hmmm_." She nodded quietly and continued to soothe him for a few moments. " _Niñ_ _o, I think that you're going to have to talk to him. You need to let him know that what he did to you was terrible and that if he has intentions of ever doing that again you will not put up with it. But if he really likes you and you really like him, then I don't see why you shouldn't give it a shot._ "

" _What about Mam_ _í_ _? Do you think that she's going to be angry with me for liking a boy?_ "

" _Maybe_ ," she replied with a shrug. " _She has her faith and I have mine. But we both love you. I don't think you dating a boy will change that._ "

" _Gracias, Abuela._ " 

**

The comfort and confidence brought about by the conversation with his Abuela carried over until the next time he got to see Sirius and Severus put his hands out to stop the boy as he leaned in for a kiss.

"What?" Sirius asked with a cocked head. 

Severus looked around the heavily-bleached bathroom for a minute and nodded. They never had a lot of time and he hated to use it talking instead of making out but there were things that needed to be said.

"Why did you bully me in middle school?" he asked, hands firmly holding Sirius' waist to keep him from either pulling away or moving in closer. "Why did you and James humiliate me that way? The insults were bad enough, and knocking my books down, and even leaving mean notes in my notebook. Why didn't you stop at that?"

A blank look fell over Sirius' face and Severus wondered if the boy was going to outright refuse to talk about things. Sirius never liked to talk about "why" for anything. He didn't mind admitting to things he had done, stupid or not, but Severus couldn't remember a single time that the boy had explained his reasons even back when they were in the principal's office. 

"What do you want?" he asked instead and Severus had to resist the urge to punch the bastard.

"I just told you. I want to know why you did those things to me."

"No, what purpose would you have for bringing that up right now?"

" _Give me strength,_ " he mentally asked the Virgin. "I want to know why you made my life a living hell for years and then suddenly decide to make-out with me at any given chance after we meet again in a juvenile delinquent center. If you're intention is to try to lower my guard so that you can try to hurt me in another way then you can just rot in hell. But..." His voice caught in his throat for a second. Saying anything else was exposing himself to an even deeper hurt. "But, if you wanted to actually have something with me, for more than just the next week, we need to talk about it."

"What if I'm just randy because I'm stuck in house arrest all the time?" Sirius shot back with a sneer. "I don't need to have a relationship to make out with someone."

It took every ounce of self-control to not pull away in that moment, to just curl in on himself and feel like _un pinche estúpido_. 

"You don't, Sirius," he replied instead. "But I also don't have to be the one you make out with. I'm not looking for a no-strings-attached arrangement."

The facade on Sirius' face wavered and Severus felt like something was leaping in his stomach. "What are you looking for, Severus?"

"I'm looking for honest answers, Sirius. And I'm looking for a chance to maybe give this a proper shot."

They both know that there really wasn't the time for a conversation like this, but Sirius held his ground and looked down into the shorter boy's eyes. "I did those things because I was an insecure little shit and I needed you to know that I wasn't intimidated by you."

"You strung me up to the flagpole in my underwear because you were intimidated by me?"

"No! I _wasn't_ intimidated by you. But, you were smart and funny and cute enough to be competition and I didn't want anyone else to realize that."

Severus stared at him incredulously. "Are you sure that you're remembering our school years correctly?"

"Absolutely," Sirius replied earnestly. "And it just seems stupid to keep being a dick when all I want to do is wrap my arms around you and kiss the breath right out of you."

A knock at the bathroom door made them jump apart and then Moody stepped into the restroom. "You two nearly finished in here?" he barked in annoyance.

"Yeah," Sirius muttered, wiping his hand on his jeans. 

"Good. Get a move on, then."

They both followed behind the strict man and if Severus' fingers lightly grazed along the palm of Sirius' hand a few times as they walked back out into the lobby then who would know?

**

It had been a couple of weeks since he had last seen Sirius, but Severus was glowing in the knowledge that he had a boyfriend. They had exchanged numbers and were texting each other non-stop and in another few weeks they would be starting up their volunteer tutoring positions at the Juvenile Rehabilitation Center. He tried to just enjoy what he could get right now and not think too much about their upcoming Senior year. While they wouldn't have as many restrictions as they did now, he was certain that their final year would be full of school work and school events. Maybe they could go on dates over the weekend where the Blacks couldn't find out? If he got enough courage to come out to his mother then maybe Sirius could come spend time at his home too. 

A knock at the door startled all three of them and Severus looked up at his mom for answers. She looked just as surprised as he was.

" _Did you invite any friends over_?" she asked with a wrinkled brow. 

He had never done so before. " _No, Mam_ _í_."

The door was knocked on again and she set down her needlework to answer it. Abuela lowered the volume of the radio and both she and Severus stared after Eileen as she opened the door.

"Hello, is this the Snape residence?"

Severus could see a tall older white man standing at the door with a bespectacled stern woman behind him. Neither of them looked familiar and it made his heart race in fear. Was this about his father? Or was he being accused of something else? He had promised his mother that he would keep out of trouble but that wouldn't stop others from using him as a scapegoat if they could.

"Y-yes," Eileen replied nervously. "How can I help you?" Her accent was still thick even though she had been working very hard to improve her English.

The woman pushed the old man to the side and offered as friendly an expression as her face could manage. "Hello Mrs. Snape, we're both here from the Hogwarts Preparatory School and we wanted to personally bring your son's invitation.

Severus' mouth fell open and Eileen shot a frightened look to her son and then back to the strangers. "Ah, um, I don't know this?" she replied.

"Your son is being invited to attend a private school," the woman tried again, this time holding out a fancy and thick envelop.

"Please come in," Eileen whispered as she stood back from the door and stared at the envelop.

Severus jumped up and ran to the kitchen to start the coffee and he opened up a new package of Maria cookies to set out on a platter for the guests. Abuela joined him in the kitchen to help and soon all of them were seated around the table.

"I've never had these before," the older man said cheerfully after taking a bite of the cookie. "Absolutely delightful."

Eileen was hunched over the letters that came in the envelop and Severus was translating them as quickly as he could all while trying to keep his hands from shaking too much.

"I'm sorry, s-sir," she finally muttered. "We appreciate you both coming to deliver this, but Severus didn't apply for the school because even if he received the scholarship it was not enough to cover the full costs. And I cannot afford to pay for his school."

Severus knew how much those words burned on his mother's tongue and he squeezed her knee in encouragement. She always did the best that she could and he would never begrudge her for not being able to provide more. 

"Not to worry," the man stated cheerfully. "I'm afraid that I didn't properly introduce myself. I'm Albus Dumbledore, the principal of the school."

"And I'm Ms. McGonnegal," the woman added. "I'm a teacher and student counselor."

"While it's true that your son did not strictly apply for entry into our school, he had been brought to our attention by another student. After acquiring his transcript and speaking with his previous teachers our school would like to offer a full-ride scholarship."

"Who-"

"That would also include breakfasts and lunches for the school year as well as any costs covered for his academic participation. We are hoping that he will be inclined to join our science team for the Tri-State Tournament this year. It's a very prestigious science fair program and we are hoping to win it."

" _Santa Maria_ ," Eileen whispered as she clenched the papers in her hands.

"Sir, I'm still currently under monitoring," Severus stated softly. "And I'll still be on probation through my Senior year. Even if I was recommended by another student, why would you want to offer such a scholarship? It's not even one that you normally offer or I would have applied years ago."

McGonnagal gave the Principal a glance and the older man just smiled back softly. 

"I'd like to think that I've got a good nose for talent," he replied easily. "And I'm an absolute sucker for an underdog story. You've only got one year of schooling left and that's a year of preparing for college and applying. Would you rather go at that by yourself with nothing but your incarceration as your listed experience? Or would you rather have the full disposal of the Hogwarts Preparatory School behind you? It's your choice, Severus."

Severus looked back down at the letters his mother was clenching. He was absolutely certain that he knew who recommended him to the school's administration and he also knew that his current academic standings were not exactly inspiring enough to bring about such a generous offer. He also knew what a manipulative shit Sirius could be when he wanted something and if that meant bringing the principal's attention to the fact that their school could use another Hispanic kid in their almost all-white school, or that said Hispanic was actually also pretty competent in science and could improve their standing at the Tri-State Tournament, then well...Sirius would. Maybe the bastard had even promised extra donations from his family?

His pride demanded that he tell this _gringo_ to take his false kindness and shove it where the sun doesn't shine, but the more practical side of him was violently against that. Who cared if he was solely there to improve their minority numbers? Who cared if at their next governor's meeting they proudly declared, "we've managed to increase our Latin representation by 100%" to a crowd of clueless and awed people? He would get to have their name emblazoned on his applications. He would get to have their resources for a full year, including ACT and SAT prepwork. 

He would have the opportunity to spend every school day near Sirius.

"Okay," he replied nervously before glancing up at his mother. "If Mamí is okay with this, then I would be honored to attend your school. But I'd need to make sure that the full extent of the scholarship is in writing, sir."

"I'll make sure that everything is clearly explained," Ms. McGonnegal replied. "I'll call back next week to set an appointment for the two, or three, of you to tour the school and sign the paperwork. Will that be alright?"

"Yes," Eileen replied. 

Severus stared at his phone and had half a mind to tell off the _pendejo_ for interfering in his life without permission. The other half of his mind was thinking that finding a way for them to meet before tutoring started would be an excellent way to show his gratitude by kissing that boy senseless.

**

"Fancy seeing you here," an amused voice greeted as he stepped into the still rowdy homeroom. 

Severus tried not to grin too widely as he stared at the sauntering young man walking towards him. "I'd say my pleasure, but I think that the pleasure is all yours, Sirius."

" _Pendejo_ ," Sirius responded fondly, his posh accent making the insult sound almost polite.

" _Look at that_ ," Severus teased. " _There's hope for you yet. Maybe we can work on that lisp next_."

Sirius' barking laughter caught the attention of other students but he didn't seem to care at all. " _I'll be a good Mexican in no time,_ " he teased. " _See? Ayyyyyy, andele pueeeeeees~_ " he drug out in an exaggerated accent.

"Are they insulting each other? Or flirting?" James asked quietly as he chewed on his twizzler stick. 

Remus shrugged. "I think that's the same thing in Spanish."

**Author's Note:**

> Coger (pronounced co-hair) - Mexican version of "fuck"  
> Joder (pronounced hoe-dair) - Spaniard version of "fuck"  
> Que te folle un pez! --> I hope you get fucked by a fish! (Spaniard)  
> Gilipollas --> dumbass (Spainard)  
> Pendejo --> idiot (Mexican)  
> Chinga tu madre, puto --> fuck your mother, man whore (Mexican)  
> Que te den, Santiago --> fuck you, James (Spaniard)  
> Perdóname --> Excuse me?  
> De nada --> you're welcome  
> Un pinche estúpido --> a fucking idiot (Mexican)
> 
> I hope that you enjoyed the story! I tried my best to get colloquialisms in without being overwhelming as well as to sprinkle in some cultural things. I'd also like to point out that I did my best to write all parties and cultural issues in as respectful a manner as I could while still allowing for character imperfections. :)


End file.
